Smell identification decline did not differ by exercise group
A five-year randomized trial tracked smell identification in 106 adults aged 70–77 over 10 years, comparing two exercise programs with advice to follow national activity guidelines.
Paper by Line Skarsem Reitlo, Simon Holmvik, Ane-Kristine Øien Dyrvik et al.
388 participants
Limit: Loss of longitudinal participants to follow-up could bias the long-term group comparison
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In 106 adults aged 70–77, researchers tested smell identification during and after a five-year randomized exercise trial. Participants were assigned to continuous moderate-intensity exercise, high-intensity exercise in intervals, or a control group asked to follow national physical activity guidelines. Researchers tested smell identification at the start and after one, three, five and 10 years.
Smell identification declined over time, with no significant differences between groups. At 10 years, an expanded sample of 388 participants also showed no group differences. Fitness, measured by the highest rate of oxygen use during exercise, did not differ significantly between groups over time. Higher fitness at the start and at 10 years was associated with better smell identification at 10 years.
Why it matters
The ability to identify smells changes with age. The trial addressed whether structured exercise could help preserve this aspect of sensory function.
Caveats
The trial compared exercise programs with activity advice, not inactivity. The fitness findings were associations and do not show that higher fitness prevented smell decline.
- Exercise
- High-intensity interval training
- Moderate-intensity continuous training
- Hippocampal volume
- Peak oxygen uptake
- Humans
Exercise is part of Bryan Johnson's Blueprint
The paper
Trajectories of Odour Identification During and After a 5-Year Exercise Intervention in Older Adults
Line Skarsem Reitlo, Simon Holmvik, Ane-Kristine Øien Dyrvik et al.
Frontiers in Physiology, Oct 30, 2026, CC BY, Accepted, not yet published
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